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Samtalen er for kort.

Samtalen er for kort.
The conversation is too short.
FromLesson 15inHardcore Norwegian
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Breakdown of Samtalen er for kort.

være
to be
samtalen
the conversation
for kort
too short
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Questions & Answers about Samtalen er for kort.

What does samtalen mean and why the -en ending?

samtalen is the definite form of en samtale (a conversation). The -en suffix marks definiteness in common-gender nouns: • en samtale = a conversation
• samtalen = the conversation

Why is for used here, and what does it mean?

In this sentence for is an adverb meaning too, placed before adjectives to express excess: • for kort = too short
You can use it the same way with other adjectives: • for lang = too long
• for dyr = too expensive

Why isn't kort inflected to korte or korts?

Here kort is a predicative adjective (it follows the verb er). Predicative adjectives in Norwegian are never inflected. Adjectives only get an -e (or other endings) when used attributively before a definite noun: • Predicative: Samtalen er kort.
• Attributive, definite: den korte samtalen

How would you say A conversation is too short. in Norwegian?

Use the indefinite article en: • En samtale er for kort.

How do you make the sentence plural? (The conversations are too short.)

Use the plural noun samtalene and keep for korte predicative: • Samtalene er for korte.
Note: In attributive plural you’d also use -e: • for korte samtaler

What’s the difference between kort and liten?

• kort describes length in space or time (short in duration/length)
• liten means small in size
So for the duration of something use kort, not liten.

How would you intensify for kort to say “way too short”?

Add altfor (meaning way too): • Samtalen er altfor kort.

What’s the difference between kort and rask when talking about duration?

• kort = short (length or duration)
• rask = fast (speed or pace)
English quick can map to either depending on context.

How is kort pronounced in this sentence?
In Eastern Norwegian (standard) it sounds like [kuʈ], where r + t become a retroflex ʈ. In other dialects you may hear [kɔʀt] or [kʊʀt].
Can you put kort before samtalen instead of after er?

Yes, but then it’s attributive. Indefinite attributive uses the uninflected form: • en kort samtale
Definite attributive requires -e: • den korte samtalen